Chapter 34. The CEO Card
When Do You “Play the CEO Card”?
That’s a question I’ve been asked both by CEOs who are looking for advice and by potential cofounders or employees who want to know how I operate. It took me a while to figure out the answer. And I realized it was because nobody was quite clear on what the question meant.
What is this “CEO card” that you get? And what does this magical card actually say? “Shut up and do what I tell you to?” No, not really. Anyone can say that, and nobody has to listen. I’ve seen plenty of employees thumb their noses at the boss and do what they want anyway.
Actually, startup CEOs have not one, but three cards. They are the sole, undisputed right and obligation of the CEO, and she may play them as she sees fit.
Those three cards are simple: hire, inspire, and fire.
Hire
As the CEO, you have the ability—backed by the board of directors, your boss—to hire people. You can exercise this right at will, and there is no check on your authority. Who you decide to build out your team with will define your company for the future. If your company’s having problems, it’s probably because you screwed this up.
Of course, you’d be an idiot to run around hiring people unilaterally. You want to seek advice from cofounders, board members, and subject matter experts. You want to delegate hiring authority over time to the people you’ve hired to make good decisions. As companies grow in size, an ever-dwindling number of people can say they were actually hired ...
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